This invention relates to an apparatus for containing oil floating on a body of water, and more particularly to an oil containment barge assembly.
The problem of oil spills and oil slicks on bodies of water, and particularly the oceans, has been a serious one in recent years, since such spills have produced substantial pollution of marine life, shores and beaches. Such oil spills are generally quite large, occurring from the leaking or wreck of an oil tanker, or from a blow-out in an off-shore drilling well.
Several attempts have been made to develop oil containing rings or fences for surrounding the oil spill, such as those disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.:
3,630,003; Tuttle et al; Dec. 28, 1971 PA0 3,847,816; DiPerna; Nov. 12, 1974 PA0 3,925,991; Poche; Dec. 16, 1975 PA0 3,998,060; Preus; Dec. 21, 1976 PA0 4,006,082; Irons; Feb. 1, 1977 PA0 4,174,185; Toki; Nov. 13, 1979 PA0 4,211,659; Nyfeldt et al; July 8, 1980
All of the above patents disclose various types of bouyant fences adapted to surround and contain an oil spill or slick on a body of water.
The Tuttle et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,630,033 discloses an oil fence surrounding an oil slick and providing a pumping platform 66 for pumping oil from the contained body of oil into a storage area, such as a barge 64. FIG. 6 of the Tuttle et al patent discloses flexible connections between the pontoons 10, and FIG. 7 discloses the pontoons connected together end-to-end in a curved configuration. Moreover, the U.S. Tuttle et al patent discloses weighted curtains 40 fixed to the sides of the pontoons by mounting plates 46 and overlapping each other to prevent oil from seeping outside of the fence perimeter through the spaces between the pontoons.
The Poche U.S. Pat. No. 3,925,991 also discloses an oil containment fence constructed of inter-connected pontoons, the spaces between which are covered by curtain-type seal assemblies 31 (FIG. 7).
The Preus U.S. Pat. No. 3,998,060 also discloses a plurality of weighted curtains or skirts 26 supported end-to-end to form an oil containing barrier.
However, none of the above patents disclose the utilization of a plurality of ocean-going barges connected in a circular or endless configuration surrounding the oil slick to be contained and also a plurality of flexible oil-impervious curtains which may be easily and quickly installed and disassembled.